English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Hanslope

Major Settlement in the Parish of Hanslope

Historical Forms

  • Hammescle 1086 DB
  • (H)anslepe 1086 DB
  • Hamslap(e) 1086 DB 1189 P 1208 Fees20 1211,1212 Fines 1217 Pat 1227 1237 Fees 1241,1247 Ass 1255 For 1262 Ass 1281 Ipm 1292 1306 Cl 1316 FA 1317 Pat 1398 Ipm
  • Hamesclapa 1159 P
  • Hamesclaye 1201 Fines
  • Hameslap(e) 1175 P 1217 Pat 1246 Gross 1304 Ipm
  • Haunslape 1227 Ass
  • Hampslep 1231 FF
  • Hamslepe 1235 Fees469 1241 Ass
  • Hamslop 1247 Ass
  • Hamsesclap 1250 Fees
  • Hampslap(e) 1302 FA 1315 Cl 1326 Pat 1327 Fine 1344 Pat 1346 FA 1371 Cl 1423 ADii 1434,1447 Pat
  • Hamslapp 1257 Ipm
  • Hameslappe 1262 Ass
  • Haunslep 1262 Ass
  • Hampeslape 1333 Cl
  • Hampslak 1370 Cl
  • Hanneslape 1415 Pat 1535 VE
  • Hanslep 1480 IpmR 1509 LP
  • Hanslope 1488 ADv 1509 LP
  • Hanslape 1496 Pat 1509 LP
  • Auncelope, Anslope 1532 LP
  • Hans(e)loppe 1566 ADvi Eliz ChancP
  • Hanslapp 1626 Vern

Etymology

The second element is clearly slæpe. The main part of the village is on the flat, with a road leading straight up the hill to the church from the village (Harman). The first would seem to be a pers. name. The forms suggest the name Hāma , familiar in OE heroic poetry, known to be usual in the 8th and 9th cents., and compounded in the place-name Havant (Hants), OE  æt Haman funtan , in which case the full form of the OE  name was Hāmanslǣpe .

The later forms show either development of epenthetic p between m and s or assimilation of labial m to the dental s .